Positive Female Role Models In Snow Sports- Ladies To Love, Look Up To And Those Who Empower Freeriders Of All Ages!

Be powerful, be bold, empower others and lead the way. That’s how it should be within the sporting world. I want to see strong ladies paving the way for others. The sporting industry is a mess at the moment, we have sports brands employing models to advertise fitness gear, we have less televised coverage of major sporting events not even to mention the lesser known events where women are involved. The constraints are the same in the snow sports world as well. Thankfully, incredible ladies like some of the lasses mentioned below are finally getting the recognition they deserve, largely through the medium of social media. Social media has helped these ladies inspire girls like me, I look up to them, I am EXTREMELY lucky to know some of them, to have ridden with them and get to learn from them first hand.

The whole essence of empowering other women, like me, or younger girls looking up to snow sports rider who for some, are the sports stars of their lives, akin to how some may idolize footballers for example- is we get that pang of excitement when we see their new post on Instagram, we want to know what they are up too and we see how they portray themselves and how they inspire other women, showing us what we can aspire to be. These women are my inspiration, they are some real bad-ass babes and I highly recommend, you start following them too!

This Italian babe is as smart as she is strong. Arianna is THE PERFECT balance in how you can pursue your passion in sport and in education. Now a qualified Physio AND a fully fledged rider on the freeride world tour, she is totally killing it. She shows us how we can perfect the work life balance to achieve everything we want in life- NOTHING HAS TO SUFFER, YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL. Having just signed another 2 yr contract with Scott, I can’t wait what this bad ass skier babe does next. FOLLOW HER HERE

Not the first time I have paid tribute to this epic babe! Kjersti Buaas is a real hero of mine. She is the epitome of zen, balancing a love for yoga and the outdoors with the continual pushing of boundaries in snowboarding. From park to the back country, she is truly incredible. Kjersti rides with power and grace and she is all about the good karma. Kjersti is strong, strong in mind and body, this comes from a genuine connection with the earth through yoga and exploring nature- this is a really special match. You can’t help but feel good about life when you follow her. Traveling the world with her own brand of effortless cool! Follow her here!

Marte is the queen of Scandi cool, this Norwegian babe is a rising star and I could not be more proud of her. Everytime I head to her insta I am taken aback by the brilliant stuff she is doing! I am so lucky to know and love this lady, having ridden with her many a time, I know that she will continue to do bigger and better things. Demonstrating how girls can be just as daring, adventurous and boisterous as any male rider. She rips on and off her skis, she is sweet and just a genuinely lovely person. Follow her here!

Okay, I may be total bias as she is one of my besties but you know what NO, Annika deserve EVERY bit of recognition she deserves. From just skiing around for the sheer love of skiing and freeriding to now pushing herself to the limits, showing the world what she is up to through her Instagram and her blog; Annika is up and coming! I see big things on the horizon for her, considering that Annika embodies the skier girl attitude. She is all about encouraging and pushing the ladies around her, helping my friends and I strive to go bigger and do better. Annika is always improving and she is a real force to be reckoned with! Such a strong rider. I cannot wait to head to Japan with this babe, together I know we can conquer ANY ADVENTURE. Sleeves up, ski boots on and we can head for the horizon. Follow her here!

Mirte is WANDERLUST! Following her is exactly what you need to see on a boring Monday. When I am home working in the down season, I look to Mirte for inspiration on how one can turn their passion into a career. From her love of ski mountaineering, touring, a general passion for the outdoors and adventure, paired with a genuine skill in photography and content production, Mirte has built a social media profile to rival the big names like @roundtheworldgirl or @erinoutdoors. Having spent time with Mirte, listened to her ideas and worked with her, I know she practice what she preaches. It’s this level of integrity and authenticity that make for a really inspirational person. Follow her here.

Jackie is an idol of mine. Whenever we have correspondents through blogging or article writing, I always blush a little as she is just the most down to earth and genuine person. I remember when I first saw Jackie taking part in an audition in the film “Game Of Gnar” I know she was an incredible spirit. A rider that shredz with strength, endurance and fearlessness, watching her in the FWT is a real inspiration. With a deep affiliation to the outdoors, traveling the world along side her bae, the legend that is Reine Barkered we see some amazing stuff from Jackie. Not to mention is is championing mountain safety with her involvement with “SAFE AS” Clinics!

WHAT. A .HERO! Alexa IS girl power and it’s awesome to see. Again its not the first time I’ve paid tribute to this mega babe but Alexa needs more people shouting about her! Creator of the epic blog “Still Stoked“, Alexa is calling the industry out on it’s bullshit, she praises achievement, spreads the love and over all inspires women from surf to snow! If you have ever felt frustrated about the snow sports world or the fitness industry, Alexa will no doubt have taken your exact thoughts and written about it on her fiercely popular blog! I watch this lady like a hawk and I am always stoked to see what she comes out with! Be strong and confident, that’s what she teaches us! Follow her her.

MASSIVE GIRL CRUSH ALERT! I knew Sian 6 years ago when we did our very first season in Cervinia and since then she has gone to do some amazing things in the outdoors and adventure world. Not just snow sports but if you want inspiration about traveling, lifestyle and how to be confident and happy in your own skin, Sian is the girl to follow! She is a bad ass journalist, writing for The Independent and the BBC as well as her killer personal blog, aptly named “The Girl Outdoors”, Sian is killing it. Sian talks about all the nuances of adventure travel for girls, the good, the bad and the ugly, inspiring and motivating. Get out there, get back to nature and enjoy being you! Follow her here.

So there you have it, a short list of some of the most amazing lasses out there, (well in my opinion) but I highly recommend you follow them, listen to them, read all the material they put out there and let girls that are really JUST LIKE YOU-empower you to be the best version of yourself. No matter how low you may be feeling or how disgruntled you are about the images you are used to seeing, these ladies will restore your faith in #GirlPower!

Barcelona what can I say, you were sweet, warm, welcoming and over all a pleasure from start to finish. One must be quick on their feet, armed and ready for a 48 hour stay in one of Europe’s most loved cities as only a certain about of aimless strolling is allowed! But, with food and drink, history and exploration in mind, Kate and I set ourselves the heft task of doing as much as we could in this incredible city in just 2 days.

Now, this is the time to say that I did little to no research prior to departure, this is generally rather out of character for me as I am normally organised and keeping a watchful eye on my check list, well in advance of departure however this time round, what with work and general down season life pressure; I was totally unprepared. I am so glad Kate was my travel buddy on this trip as she was fantastic, she has browsed articles, looked online and had some super ideas for how we would soak up all of Barcelona’s amazing culture.

Now don’t get too excited, this blog is no Conde Nast article, or a piece from Sunday Times Travel, no, this is a quick fire summary and overall recommendation of this truly captivating city!

Accommodation

AIR B&B is life! Kate found us the most perfect apartment. The owner, Luis was sweet, helpful and really welcoming. He greeted us eagerly and ensured we had everything we needed, not to mention giving us plenty of insider info. Luis managed to purchase a few apartments in the building during the financial crash in spain, we kept them and did them p and now he regularly rents out numerous rooms and has the whole thing down to a T. Check him out on Air B&B right here by clicking this link! Make sure you tell him Kate and Angelica sent you!

Food

Strangely, (well perhaps not for 2 millennials) but the meal that stood out the most to us was Brunch. Now I cannot speak highly enough our the brunch spot, Brunch&Cake have a few spots around the city, each as delicious as the next, some cute street corners to beach front locations, we actually ate here on the Saturday and the Sunday. The service was totally impeccable and the options for carnivores and herbivores alike was amazing. As vegans, kate and I devoured the Match pancakes with Pistachio cream and “life changing” Granola. Simply Instagram heaven! Tapas wise, we actually found the spots around our Air B&B around Placa Catalunya. Cute little local spots, serving the most amazing tapas to match your cool dry Cava or glass of Sangria! What could be better, totally dreamy!

Culture

The Catalan culture is really special, a fiercely independent region, they are proud of their heritage and diversification from mainland spain. The language is a closer derivative of French and Italian than Spanish and man do they speak fast! The history is totally captivating so be sure to take every opportunity to learn something about the area, particularly a walking tour of the city’s hidden secrets. . . Sights

There is something terribly curious and totally ore inspiring around every corner in Barcelona. From the architecture to the atmosphere it’s the epitome of cool! Okay let’s cover the most notable thing first- La Sagrada Familia- during high season you absolutely have to book. We went early evening and we still couldn’t get in. We saw the enormity of this world famous landmark from the outside but it doesn’t quite do it justice. Click here to head to the website to book in advance of your trip. One site that Kate was over the moon to visit was the Park Guell. I was so glad she recommended we visit as it was really something. Again, you should absolutely book but it was worth the 8€ per person. Click here to book. This Gaudi masterpiece offers unprecedented views over the city along with a really tranquil setting, despite the hoards of people, even at 8pm at night! Lastly, the best way to see plenty of the city FAST is to take a walking tour. Come armed with comfy shoes and child like enthusiasm to learn and you will be set. We did the same walking tour in Berlin with NEW EUROPE and the guides are just amazing. Super informative and this particular guide was a total hero. Be sure to get on the tour with Leon when you visit Barcelona. They have so many amazing options to suit every traveler from the hidden secrets tour to the tapas tour!

Night Life

The night life was super cool, as you can imagine, there is a really great mix between the hipster and the effortlessly stylish. Friday consisted of Cava, tapas and massive catch ups but Saturday we were ready to hit the town. We firstly headed down to the beach to Blue Beach Bar on Carrer De Guitert for some Sangria. You can take the absolutely lovely walk along to Playa Olimpic, which is about 15 mins long. It takes you so plenty of clubs including the big names like Pacha and lots of beach front bars. I HATE CLUBS so we walked straight past to set up camp in a few of the more chilled out bars to drink Cava and put the world to rights!

Beach

The best beach was around Carrer De Guitert, there are plenty of bars to stay refreshed and they made the ideal spot to grab lunch. Plus it was only a very short walk from Brunch&Cake, you can walk your little food baby all the way to the sand. Kate and I were in need of some chilled out time so we opted to sun ourselves for a few hours on Sunday afternoon after a long meader from the Air B&B to the brunch spot. The sea is a little dirty sadly due to the little so be sure you don’t continue to this, make sure you take all your rubbish with you. It was high season and therefore VERY hot, also be sure to stay hydrated.

Now, I am certainly no expert, not the best start to a blog, I know; I am always complaining about forgetting something, wishing I had bought that item that in my head seemed it would change my entire wardrobe. BUT with the amount that I travel I have mastered a few hacks that I wanted to pass on. Having just got back from Berlin (Blog to follow soon), I wanted to share some ideas with you.

Mostly likely you are working with hand baggage allowance which doesn’t leave much room but for a few days, even up to a week in some cases, it’s all you need to pack the absolute essentials. It always takes the hassle our of the traveling part, which makes the over all experience more enjoyable.

Short and sweet, here are my tips on- How To Pack/Travel Light For A City Break.

A trusty holdall.

I absolutely swear by my Sweaty Betty holdall. I bought the original holdall which I believe is still available but, pictured here is a beautiful alternative- the Union Jack Hold All. The carry straps go comfortably over your shoulders and fit like a back pack if you have to lug it around town or the extended strap is ideal. It is really spacious and there is even a section for your laptop. You cal also carry items under which is ideal if you to separate clothes if you have been to the beach or simply clothes you won’t wear again. TO SHOP THIS ITEM CLICK HERE.

The perfect back pack

Again, I am all about that Sweaty Betty lifestyle. If I am doing anything outdoorsy then of course it’s my Vaude day packs. However for traveling and exploring a new city, my Sweaty Betty all sports backpack is that one item I worship like a total geek. I am rarely seen without it off the mountain. There are plenty of compartments and it’s light weight. TO SHOP THIS ITEM, CLICK HERE.

Your favorite comfy shoes

My converse have become my off mountain uniform. They seem to go with EVERYTHING and few could disagree that no matter what the occasion converse are perfect. Whenever heading on a city break I am always sure to take my converse; to go sight seeing, chilled park hangs and matching with a cute dress to head out for drinks! Stress free packing.

Sunnies

I am one of those people that has always LOVED wearing my sunglasses. I mean, I was bullied for ever little thing in high school, even down to the fact that when it was sunny, guess what- I wore sunglasses. I digress. I am never without my sunglasses and I recently picked up a few awesome pairs on ASOS. They look similar to the Ray Ban round metal frames but without the price tag.

Think simple for your #OOTD

My mum always jokes that I have no idea what I am doing if I am not wearing layers of back country clothing. Truth is, I have always had a very distinct sense of style. I love sports luxe. Probably why I love Sweaty Betty so much but pairing basic sport pieces with the odd statement item like a patterned jacket. That’s why whenever I am traveling on a city break I think simple. My face statement leggings with a loose fit T or simple a basic light cotton jumper and a cute skirt. Plus my converse of course. It never fails!

I hope you found this blog useful. Let me know what you think. The Berlin Travel blog is coming VERY soon indeed but until then. . . .